Vocal muffler

Abstract

A vocal muffler for muffling the vocalization of a human, especially a crying baby. The muffler comprises a globe-like member having a chamber provided with a port positionable over the baby's mouth and via which the baby's crying enters the chamber to exit through muffled port means in bypassing relation to an inhalation port. A valve in the chamber opens the inhalation port during inhalation by the baby and closes the port in response to exhalation. The bypassing port means includes sound-attenuating means for muffling the baby's cries. The valve is contained loosely in a cage adjacent to the inhalation port so that when the muffler is not used as a muffler, the ball will rattle in the cage and the muffler serves as a toy rattle.

I claim: 
     
       1. A vocal muffler for use by a human person, comprising a member having an exterior wall defining a chamber and provided with a first port opening to atmosphere and adapted to be placed over the mouth of a vocalizing person, said wall having a second port open to atmosphere and spaced from the first port, a valve cage within said chamber and supported by said wall adjacent to the second port, a valve movable in the cage in response to exhalation of said vocalizing person into the chamber though the first port to close the second port and movable upon inhalation by said person to open the second port, and said wall having further port means communicating the chamber to atmosphere in bypassing relation to the second port for conducting exhaled air out of the chamber during closure of the second port. 
     
     
       2. A muffler according to claim 1, including sound-attenuating means associated with the further port means. 
     
     
       3. A muffler according to claim 2, in which the sound-attnuating mean includes a plurality of baffles. 
     
     
       4. A muffler according to claim 1, in which the valve and cage are of relatively hard material and the valve is loosely received in the cage so that the member, when used other than a muffler, serves as a toy rattle. 
     
     
       5. A muffler according to claim 1 in which the wall includes an extension projecting outwardly beyond the second port and the extension includes inlet air passage means leading to the second port. 
     
     
       6. A muffler according to claim 5, in which the extension includes an auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber includes the further port means, and sound-attenuating means is contained in the auxiliary chamber. 
     
     
       7. A muffler according to claim 1, in which the member is globe-like and has a transverse partition dividing the member into upper lower halves, the chamber, valve, valve cage, and first port are disposed in the lower half, the second port is in the partition, and the further port means includes a first opening in the partition and a communicating second opening in the upper half. 
     
     
       8. A muffler according to claim 7, including sound-attenuating means in the upper half intermediate the aforesaid two first and second openings of the further port means. 
     
     
       9. A muffler according to claim 7, in which the upper half is divided into a plurality of lobes spaced angularly about a vertical axis centered in the second port, the partition includes a plurality of first openings, one for each lobe and each lobe includes a second opening communicating respectively with the first openings, and said lobes including air passage means in addition to the further port means openings and leading to the second port means. 
     
     
       10. A muffler according to claim 9 in which the air passage means is provided by the angular spacing of the lobes. 
     
     
       11. A muffler according to claim 7, in which the upper portions of the lobes afford means for receiving a hand of a second person for enabling manual holding of the muffler by the second person over the mouth of the vocalizing person. 
     
     
       12. A muffler according to claim 7, in which the partition is part of the upper half and the two halves are separably interconnected generally in the plane of the partition. 
     
     
       13. The muffler according to claim 7, in which the valve cage is part of the partition and depends into the lower half.